Honda Civic Type R Concept:
The production one in early 2007

Motion Trends,
20th March 2006.

A month after Honda unveiled its Civic Si Sedan Concept at the 2006 Chicago Auto Show (10-19 February), the other face of the hottest C-segment (lower medium) Honda model came with the Civic Type R Concept car, at the Geneva Auto Show (held from 2nd to12th March).

The European Honda Civic Type R Concept aims to repeat the success of the previous Civic Type R which ended production last year. It addresses those who are looking for a sporty, high performance car, yet practical and affordable. That dual personality seduced over 35,000 customers, exceeding Honda's initial sales forecasts during its relatively short production run.

The bold styling and 200 PS DOHC i-VTEC engine of the Civic Type R Concept provides a clear indication of how the final production car will appear.

The current Civic Type R confirmed its capabilities as a car for everyday use, yet one that delivers instant performance and fun handling. Last year Honda announced its intention to build a successor.

Bold and emotional styling teamed up with a development of the previous Type R’s high-revving DOHC i-VTEC engine. 200 PS delivered from a capacity of 2.0 litres without resorting to a turbocharger defined the character of the old Civic Type R. The third Japanese car manufacturer (after Toyota and Nissan respectively) promises that the new one will be as exciting to drive as it will be to look at when it goes on sale at the beginning of 2007.

A new 3-door version of the Civic, which shares DNA with this Type R Concept model, will go on sale in Europe later this year, sharing many styling themes with the recently introduced Civic 5-door.

Civic Type R and the rest of the Civic 3-door range, will be exclusively built alongside the Civic 5-door range at the Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) plant in Swindon.